HollywoodLife.com was on hand to catch all the drama when Alex, this season’s front-runner on So You Think You Can Dance, was eliminated from the competition – and believe us, emotions were running high!

Devastated can not even begin to describe how I feel right now. I’m incredibly shocked and upset thatAlex Wong’s injury has cut his So You Think You Can Dance journey short. He could have –- and should have — won the entire contest!

The audience was already in shock after hearing that 23-year-old Alex was joining fellow fan favorites Billy Belland Ashley Galvan in the bottom three July 8, but all hell broke loose when head judge Nigel Lythgoe revealed that Alex’s tendon was lacerated and he couldn’t continue in the competition.

A chorus of shocked gasps and ‘No!’s filled the room while the cameras were rolling, but what you DIDN’T see on TV was that the audience members AND the other contestants chanted Alex’s name –- and everyone involved was crying! What a mess! The crowd then fell silent as the weeping remaining dancers and judges said farewell to their beloved friend; judge Mia Michaels in particular gave the injured contestant a long hug. A few of the all-stars including Allison Holker (who stood by a very sad Robert Roldan’s side for almost the entire time), Kathryn McCormick and Pasha Kovalev went out on stage to console Alex as well.

This was probably the WRONG time to celebrate Nigel’s 61st birthday, though. A huge cake with the SYTYCD creator’s face was brought out for an early celebration (his actual b-day is today, July 9), but everyone in the studio was too distraught to smile, clap or sing. Instead, Nigel took the mic and somberly addressed the crowd, saying, “I wish I didn’t have to cut my birthday short, but this moment belongs to Alex. Everything happens for a reason.” (Don’t worry — Nigel told us backstage that he would celebrate his birthday properly with his fellow judges Mia and Adam Shankman).

Even though Alex’s time on the show was short, he has proven to be one of the most talented and memorable dancers to ever step foot on the So You Think You Can Dance stage. Here’s to wishing him a full and speedy recovery – you’ll always be MY favorite dancer, Alex!